Leathercraft Tools:
After WWII there seemed to be a renaissance in crafts in the United States. Leathercrafting came out of the saddle and harness shoppes and into the lives of many hobbiests. The tools on this page are believed to be from the late 40's through the 60's during the peak of this revival.
Toolmaker: Tandycraft
Tandycraft, No. 11 tool kit:
- Set contained swivel knife and 6 stamping tools (seeder, pear shader, cam, viener, beveler and back grounder) for $8.00 as listed on the side of the box.
- None of the tools are numbered or identified with a manufacturer trademark. I have heard that early Tandycraft tools were made at a variety of unidentified machine shops.
- The figure on the top of the box illustrates the tools use with a photocarve picture.
- The side of the box has a price list for the different tool kits available at that time. At the time this tool set was available Tandycraft's entire tool set was a swivel knife and 36 stamping tools for only $28.90. I believe this set to be 1950's vintage.
Toolmaker: C.S. Osborne & Co.
C.S. Osborne & Co. tool kit:
- Set contains a swivel knife, tracing stylus and 12 saddle stamping tools and the vinyl roll case.
- The vinyl roll case has "C. S. Osborne & Co Harrison, N.J." imprinted on the inside.
- The swivel knife has "C. S. Osborne Harrison NJ USA" stamped on the yoke.
- None of the stamping tools are numbered or identified with a manufacturer or trademark.
- Some of the stamping tool heads appear to be welded to the shank of the tool.
- Saddle stamp tool list: smooth and lined beveler's and shader's, cam, viener, bar grounder, back grounder, seeder, sunburst and two geometric border stamps.
Toolmaker: X-acto
X-acto No. 90, Leather Modeling Set
- The upper picture is of the X-acto No. 90 Leather Modeling Set with the origional cardboard box.
- All of the tools in this set have a tappered cup on the aluminum handle and a tappered steel shaft on the tool, with no other means to hold the tool in the handle.
- The second picture is a later set in a plastic case. These tool handles are unmarked and have a threaded chuck.
- The bottom picture illustrates details of the tool head and handle, compared to what I believe to be a later version of the tool where the head is held into the handle by a threaded chuck on the handle.
- The upper tool is marked "X-acto USA" on the handle. The lower tool is marked with a trademark symbol and "x-acto" with a trademark registration symbol and "U.S.A." on the handle.
Toolmaker: Unknown
Inventor: Al Shelton
Pro-Tools: Pro-Gauge, Border Guide
- Tool to hold a swivel knife at a constant distance from a leather edge to be cut with a border.
- The tool is marked "PRO-GAUGE" and "PAT. PEND." and is made to be used with a 1/2" wide swivel knife blade.
- A description of the history, use and invention of this tool can be found in the magazine "Make It With Leather", Volume 26, No. 5, September-October 1982, page 4-6 and 44-45. The article is titled "Tricks of The Trade" by Al Shelton (who is also mentioned as the inventor).
- Other Pro-Tools referred to in the artical ate Pro-Bevel, Pro-Petal and a pattern series called Pro-Pattern.
- The tool was manufactured between 1952 and 1960.
